The lessons of the “the Dalai Lama incident” from my perspective as a devotee of Amida Buddha

First of all, Dalai Lama does NOT represent all Buddhists. Dalai Lama is NOT Buddhism. Dalai Lama is just an ordinary old monk with big problems. Now let’s go to the actual topic of this article.

 

I was sad and shocked, like many of you, by that disgusting incident with the child, which is why I wrote about it in my previous article (click here to read it). However, I have recently come to the conclusion that what happened there is NOT an obstacle for the Buddha Dharma, but an opportunity to learn and get detached from the things that are not essential, to realize that we live in a dark age when many monks are actually just monks in name only, as we often say in Jodo Shinshu, and that nowadays devotion and faith should be turned towards the Power of the Buddhas, especially Amida Buddha, and not on human beings, no matter how nice they smile or how great stories we read about their traditions. So, dear friends, you can choose to look at this incident with eyes of sadness and feeling angry, or with eyes of wisdom and use it to strengthen your faith in Amida Buddha and in the need to abandon any reliance on self-power and fake human gurus.

 

Although we live in the Last Dharma Age, we tend to have expectations from our teachers to behave like those in the Right Dharma age, when Shakyamuni and His direct disciples were in the world. It’s impossible and we, Jodo Shinshu followers, know it very well which is why we don’t have monks living in monasteries, but married monks like in all Japanese Buddhist schools (click here to read the doctrinal basis for such monks). We simply admit we are decadent and we cannot do more than that, and I think it’s better this way than to become a pervert in a monastery and/or abuse children.

 

This incident is one of the best arguments for the teaching on the Three Dharma Ages and for the fact that we live in the last Dharma Age. Just look how the false religious idols are crumbling on the weight of their own sins as many news of sexual scandals and even child abuse have appeared so often in the last decades, with the Dalai Lama himself admitting that he has known about those things for a long time.

 

Dear friends, these are NOT the times to focus on human gurus and human Masters, but directly on Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow in which He promised that He will save people like us who cannot save themselves through any practice. These are NOT the times of the historical Buddha and His great direct disciples, but the times of the Last Dharma Age when many degenerates and wolves are using the ignorance and blind devotion of people to satisfy their own ego. In such times its common sense that we must turn ourselves towards the easy Path of salvation offered by Amida Buddha, or if you feel more karmic affinities for other Buddhas and Enlightened Bodhisattvas then turn towards them in prayer and devotion. These are the times when only devotion directed to the Buddhas is truly helpful, and NOT the various difficult meditation/visualization techniques, or the gurus or Masters who have their own human flaws, ignorance and blind passions.

 

The sutras and treatises are filled with the benefits of devotion towards the Buddhas, so it’s time to abandon the stupid idea so much promoted in the West that Buddhism is just a philosophy, a way of life or meditation. Buddhism is first and foremost about escaping samsara! If you realize that meditation or any other practice does not help you in any way to attain Buddhahood here and now, with this very body, as some self-power schools say it’s possible, then turn towards the Buddhas themselves in humbleness and devotion because they will never sexually abuse you, take your money, or mistreat you in any way. Turn towards Amida whose Name and method of salvation is praised and encouraged by all Buddhas! Don’t waste your precious time in human form (so hard to find in many eons) with “Master” this or “Master” that, with this “Guru” or that “Guru”…. Just turn your mind directly towards Amida or other Buddhas if you feel more connection with them. Surely, even if you don’t have total faith in them, as we require in Jodo Shinshu with Amida Buddha, that devotion, those offerings you give to them, those saying of their Names and those circumambulations and bowing will have a greater karmic benefit than wandering in the jungle of self-power practices when you are clearly not a modern Milarepa, or submitting yourself to the whims of a human being who plays as a Master or Guru.

 

Treat this incident as another wakeup call from the Buddhas that it is time to admit the decadence of our era and the need to abandon any reliance on our so-called personal spiritual achievements that can be lost anytime and the reliance on feeble human beings imitating the virtuous Masters and Gurus of the past. It is time to accept Amida’s helping hand, say His Name in faith and wish to be born in His Pure Land after the death of your illusory body. As long as you are not a Buddha yet, you cannot assume yourself any risk because samsara is NOT a safe place to be, especially in our dark times.

 

Every temple has Buddha statues, but instead of looking to them with eyes of devotion and faith, you admire and venerate flawed human beings! Stop acting stupid, and start being wise by entrusting yourself completely to Amida Buddha. This is the lesson of this incident.

 

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Question: What about those who cannot yet entrust to Amida Buddha but still rely on various self-power practices and think they need a guru? What advice do you have for them after this incident?

 

My answer: I am not in a position to give qualified detailed advice to members of other schools and practices. However, I will say just a few general things because you asked me and I know you belong to another school. If you really think that you need a guru or Master, at least find a married one with a stable family relation. I personally think that in this Last Dharma Age monastic life is unnatural because the times do not coincide with the capacities of beings. Despite this incident, Vajrayana Buddhism has many good and honest teachers (many of them married lamas) that can help others.

Also, self-power practitioners should consider this incident as an opportunity to be more careful and transform their sincere study and practice of the Dharma into a lamp that can show them the Path, instead of placing blind faith in human masters and gurus. Many sacred texts also encourage people to check the guru and Master, so more checks and consideration are needed if they think they need a spiritual guide. Also, even if they do not rely on Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow, they should combine their practice with bowing, offerings and recitations of the Three Refuges. In these dark times one praise of the Buddha, one offering, bowing and circumambulation accumulates more good karma than any practice because while the spiritual capacities to do a correct practice are almost non-existent, a simple gesture of devotion can be done by anybody and is very effective in shutting the gate to the lower realms. Meditation without bowing is gymnastics, so my advice to self-power Buddhists who cannot yet entrust to Amida is to NOT transform Buddhism into a gymnastic.